One way to think about etsy is that it's one way to get "into" a gallery (if a pretty small one, at this point, in terms of the number of visitors to this particular gallery). I know that getting the word out is the job of the maker. Trying to put the creations into the world at least takes them out of a solitary existence on some shelf, and also the process of making for a shop spurs more making. It's a sort of artificial deadline, like those performing artists set up for themselves--recitals, dance performances, specific gigs, writing deadlines. These are artificial because the process of writing, making, and performing never end.

The point has more to do with sharing the stuff you write, make or perform. The essential notion is that the creations perhaps belong to a wider community. Community has always been a mystifying idea, at least for the an introvert. My idea of a crowd is three people in close proximity. So community is an abstract idea. Of course, you put enough people with one other person, and pretty soon you have one degree of separation, so that is a kind of attenuated version of a crowd. Association but not in person. A slow-motion, never assembling crowd. Take all the people you talk to in a day (assuming you are in some kind of environment where you have such exchanges). If you smooshed the day into one minute, you've talked to multiple people--perhaps a crowd, even, except one at a time.

So why put creations out there? This also circles back to the joy one might get making, and hoping to have others enjoy the product, too. Then one gets into notions of beauty or truth or, in my case, making someone smile. So far, those are the reasons behind creativity--personal engagement and drive and happiness. Then, you want others to be happy too, maybe because of your creation.

We also want to help others, which some made-things-- inventions-- are more concrete. I do maintain that beauty, truth, and laughter also help people, although not sure how.

Well, the laughter I get. I can't imagine getting through the day without a sense of humor.

Hence, three frogs sharing a single crown, all ready to sing happy birthday.

Hey Beth! Love the way the candle holders came out in that picture! The crown is adorable, too! That's a really interesting point too about the "crowd" in a day.

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Making, creating, understanding, and doing things that make you very, very happy are important to the universe. I have been thinking about this throughout my life--and so I figure I'll write about it now and see what happens.